Locking mechanism for switch-levers



(No'ModeL) R; H. GANFIBLD.

' LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SWITCH LEVBRS. No. 578,567. Patented Dec. 22,1896.

Fig.1. I

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT CANFIE'LD, OF CORNING, NElV YORK.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SWITCH-LEVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,567, dated December22, 1896. Application filed April 7, 1896. Serial No. 586,505. (Nomodel.)

To rzZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. CANFIELD, of Corning, county of Steuben,and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inLooking Mechanism for Switch-Levers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to mechanism for looking a weightedswitch-operating lever.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch-lock in which thepadlock may be placed in the staple and locked while the switch is open,so that when the switch-operating lever is thrown over to set the switchin main-track position the switch will lock itself and the lever cannotbe moved without unlocking the padlock.

The invention will first be described and then specifically pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of aswitch-stand with my improved. automatic lock applied. Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section through the lockfraine, showing in fulllines the switch-operating lever locked by the locking-latch and itsretracting arm or hasp, the dotted lines showing the locking-latch andits retracting arm or hasp retracted. Figs. 3 and 4 are details of thesaid locking-latch and its retracting lever or hasp detached.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a switch-stand; A, theswitch-rod; A the signal-shaft, and A the shaft which operates the saidsignal-shaft and rod through the medium of the weighted lever D. Theseparts maybe of any approved construction and in themselves form no partof the present invention.

A is the lock or latch frame and is cast integral with the switch-standor bolted thereto; This frame A is provided in its upper edge with anotch a, made somewhat flaring at its upper end to receive theswitch-operating lever D. The outer side of lever D where it enters thenotch a is provided with a recess (Z to receive a nose or hook of alocking-latch to be presently described. The outer side of the frame Ais cored out or formed with a vertically-extending recess a, opening atits upper end into the notch a, as shown at a just where the recess (Zcomes.

B is a locking-latch pivoted at its lower end, as at Z), in the lowerend of recess a and having a hook B at its upper end projecting throughthe opening a into the notch a to enter the recess (1 and lock theswitching-lever D.

The outer edge of the lower end of the locking-latch B, below the pivot19', is formed with a shoulder b, engaged by an opposed shoulder c onthe lower end of the inner side of a latchretracting arm or hasp O,which is pivoted by means of the inwardly-extending ears 0' to the axisor pivot 12', said arm or hasp extending upwardly along the outer edgeof the frame A and closing the outer side of the recess a.

The upper end of the arm or hasp O is provided with a slot 0 to receivea staple E at the upper end of the frame, said staple being for thepurpose of receiving a padlock, by means of which the arm or hasp C maybe locked against outward movement.

F is a coil-spring between the adjacent sides of the latch B and arm orhasp O, with its ends seated in recesses b and c respectively. Thisspring serves to press the locking-la'tch B inwardly, so that its noseor hook B will normally project into the notch a. The latch B willtherefore have an independent movement of its own when the retractingarm or hasp C is locked by the padlock, and when the upper end of thelatch is pressed inward its 7 shoulder will be moved away from theshoulder 0, but when the padlock is removed and the arm or hasp C thrownout wardly the shoulder 0 will press inwardly on shoulder b and causethe upper end of the latch to swing outwardly and thus withdraw its noseor hook B from the recess cl in the switch-lever D and unlock the same.

It will be noticed that the notch d completely conceals the hook B andprevents it from being tampered with or reached by unauthorized persons.

When a switch is to be operated, the arm or hasp O is unlocked and swungoutwardly, which will retract the locking-latch B and permit thetrainman to throw the lever D, and as soon as this has been done the armor lever O is swung up and locked by the padlock. The switch will now beautomatically locked without further attention of the trainman when theswitch-operating lever D is swung over into the notch, and thelockinglatch will be forced back andv then snapped into the recess (Z.This will prove a great saving of time, as the trainman will not have towait until the train has passed the switch before applying the padlockto the switch, as is the case now.

Of course the arm or hasp C may be locked by any suitable lock insteadof a padlock, if desired, and the retracting connection between said armor hasp and the latch, as at c b, may be differently effected withoutdeparting from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An automaticswitch-lock comprising a fixed frame or support and a yieldinglockinglatch sustained by said frame and adapted to engage and lock theswitch-lever, in combination with a movable hasp or arm, also sustainedby. the fixed frame, and adapted when locked to said frame to hold thelatch yieldingly in the path of the switch-lever, connections betweenthe latch and hasp to positively disengage the latch from the lever whenthe hasp is released from the frame and removed, and suitable means forlocking said hasp to the frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic switch-lock, the combination with a frame or support,and a latch to lock the switch-lever, of an arm orhasp adapted to belocked to the frame, or swung outwardly therefrom; the said latch, whenthe arm or hasp is locked, being held in position thereby to snap intoengagement with and lock the switch-lever, and said arm or hasp whenunlocked and swung out, serving to retract the said latch and releasethe switchlever, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic switch-lock, the combination with a frame or support,and a latch pivoted therein to lock the switch-lever, of a pivoted armor hasp engaging with its lower end the lower end of the said latch topermit independent movement thereof, and allow the latch to snap intoengagement with and lock said lever, a spring interposed between saidlatch and arm or hasp, and means for locking said arm or hasp to theframe or support; said arm or hasp when unlocked and swung outwardlycausing the retraction of the latch from the switch-lever, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The combination with the frame or support having a notch to receivethe switch-lever, and a pivoted locking-latch in the frame to enter saidnotch and lock the switch-lever, of an arm or hasp pivoted at its lowerend in the frame and having means for locking its the said latch whenthe arm or hasp. is locked being adapted to yield to and snap intoengagement with the switch-lever and to be retracted when the arm orhasp is unlocked and swung out, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the recessed frame having a lever-notch in itsupper edge, and the locking-latch pivoted at its lower end in saidrecessed frame with its upper end pro- 3' ectin g into said notch, of anarm or hasp pivoted at its lower end in said frame-recess, and havingmeans for locking its upper end to the frame; the lower ends of theadjacent edges of said levers below their pivots being shouldered topermit'independent yielding of the latch and to causeit to be positivelyretracted when said arm is unlocked and swung out, and a spring betweenthe adjacent edges of the latch and the arm or hasp, substantially asset forth.

6. The combination with the frame having a notch in its upper edge toreceive the switchlever, a recess opening into said notch and a stapleon the upper end of its outer edge, of the locking-latch pivoted at itslower end in said recess, and having a hook or noseat its upper end toproject into said notch, the arm or hasp pivoting on the same pivot withthe latch and having a shouldered lower end to engage the latch belowits pivot and press its upper end outwardly and having a slotted upperend to receive said staple, and a spring interposed between the adjacentfaces of the latch and arm or hasp; the latch after the arm or hasp hasbeen locked having a yielding movement to permit it to snap intoengagement with the switch-lever, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the switch-stand, its switch-rod andswitch-operating lever 100 having a closed recess in one side, of theautomatic locking mechanism comprising a frame or support having anotched upper edge to receive the recessed portion of the switchlever, alatch in the frame to snap into said :05 lever-recess, and an arm orhasp adapted to be locked to the frame or swung outwardly therefrom toretract the latch and release the switch-lever; the said latch, when thearm or hasp is locked, being adapted to yield and no snap intoengagement with the switch-lever and automatically lock the switch,substantially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 25th day of March,1896, in the pres- 1 I 5 ence of two attesting witnesses.

ROBERT II. CANFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

, THOMAS MCAVO-Y,

F. H. PERRY.

